The Egyptian Theatre in

DeKalb DeKalb or De Kalb may refer to: People * Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), major general in the American Revolutionary War Places Municipalities in the United States * DeKalb, Illinois, the largest city in the United States named DeKalb **DeKal ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, is an

Egyptian Revival Egyptian Revival is an architectural style that uses the motifs and imagery of ancient Egypt. It is attributed generally to the public awareness of ancient Egyptian monuments generated by Napoleon's conquest of Egypt and Admiral Nelson's defeat ...

theatre that is listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The theatre was built in 1928 and 1929 as part of a much larger wave of national fascination with Ancient Egypt throughout the United States, due, in large part, to the discovery of

Tutankhamun Tutankhamun (, egy, twt-ꜥnḫ-jmn), Egyptological pronunciation Tutankhamen () (), sometimes referred to as King Tut, was an Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty (ruled ...

's tomb in 1922. The theatre was added to the National Register in 1978 and its 1,430-seat auditorium is currently

DeKalb County DeKalb County may refer to one of several counties in the United States, all of which were named for Baron Johan DeKalb: * DeKalb County, Alabama * DeKalb County, Georgia * DeKalb County, Illinois * DeKalb County, Indiana * DeKalb County, Missouri ...

's largest. The building was designed by architect Elmer F. Behrns, who had an interest in

Egyptology Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious ...

. The interior and exterior architecture reflect Egyptian cultural symbols.

Stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

work exhibits designs such as Ra, the Egyptian sun god and the scarab, a sacred Egyptian symbol. The building was nearly demolished in the 1970s but a restoration effort led by Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre (PET) saved the structure. Rumors have long surrounded the DeKalb Egyptian about secret messages allegedly hidden in the architecture and as well as ghost hauntings. While the theater maintains there are no hidden messages in the building the ghost stories have persisted throughout the years. The Egyptian Theatre operates a 42-week season with up to 125 events annually.

History

When the theatre opened in , it was one of many so-called

Egyptian Theatre Egyptian-style theatres are based on the traditional and historic design elements of Ancient Egypt. The first Egyptian Theatre to be constructed in the US – which inspired many of the identically-named theatres that followed it – was Graum ...

s across the United States. Of those Egyptian theatres, the DeKalb theatre is one of a handful still standing as of 2019. In the original design, additional buildings were supposed to be attached to the existing building, but they were never built due to the

stock market crash A stock market crash is a sudden dramatic decline of stock In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especia ...

in late 1929. For instance, there was to be a hotel attached to the north side of the building. In its earliest days, the theatre specialized in

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

s and live

vaudevillian Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

performances. As decades passed, the theatre became more focused on film presentations and remained so throughout the 1940s, '50s and '60s. By the 1970s the theatre was in disrepair, and its plaster walls were crumbling. The owner handed the theatre over to the city of DeKalb. In 1978 a group of citizens banded together to restore and save the Egyptian. When the Egyptian was listed on the

in 1980, the group, Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre (PET), qualified for a $2.3 million grant from the state of

. This money allowed the restoration of the theatre to begin.Bartholomew, Steven.
"Landmark Egyptian Theatre needs help of DeKalb residents
, ''Northern Star'', September 21, 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2007. It was estimated at that time that $3.5 million was needed to completely restore the theatre. Due to the shortfall, there were many projects that had to be cut, including adding

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

which the building never had, and still does not have. As of 2007, the theatre is operated and staffed by PET.The Historic Egyptian Theatre - volunteer
, official site, Home page. Retrieved July 8, 2007. A

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, PET was formed in 1978 to save the theatre from destruction. Since the 1980s restoration the theatre has been host to a variety of films and events. The current marquee is the fourth to adorn the theatre; it was installed during the 1982 restoration. The DeKalb Egyptian has a 42-week season during which it features around 125 events annually. The Egyptian's season is cut short by the hot northern Illinois summers; the theatre has no air conditioning. In 2006 more than thirty professional groups plus student organizations and university departments from nearby

Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois. It was founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895, by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld as part of an expansion of the state's system ...

used the theatre. Thorne, Evan.
Survive like an Egyptian
, ''Northern Star'', October 13, 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2007 Many notable performers have appeared at the Egyptian Theatre including

Journey Journey or journeying may refer to: * Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations ** Day's journey, a measurement of distance ** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road Animals * Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...

with

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen and ...

(from Rockford) (1977),

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in '77,

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(from Milwaukee) in '83,

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(1994),

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

(1994),

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(2003),

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(from South Bend) (2008), UK's

Frank Turner Francis Edward Turner (born 28 December 1981), is an English Punk rock, punk and Folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Hampshire. He began his career as the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, then embarked upon a primar ...

(2010),

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age story, coming-of-age situation comedy, comedy/Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol L. Black, Carol Black. It ran on American Broadcasting Company ...

(2011),

Aaron Carter Aaron Charles Carter (December 7, 1987November 5, 2022) was an American singer and rapper. He came to fame as a teen pop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among preteen and teenage audiences during the first years of the ...

(2013),

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...

(2013), Chicago band Survivor (2013) comedian

Lewis Black Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion, or any other cultural trends. He hosted the Comedy Central series ''Lewis ...

(2015),Page 11
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Richard Marx Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963) is an American adult contemporary music, adult contemporary and pop rock singer-songwriter. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Marx's Richard Marx (album), self-titled debut album went tri ...

(2015), Chicago's

The Buckinghams The Buckinghams are an American sunshine pop band from Chicago. They formed in 1966 and went on to become one of the top-selling acts of 1967, charting their only five top 40 hits in the U.S. that year. The band dissolved in 1970, but re-formed ...

(2015), Chicago's Plain White T's (2018), UK classic rock band

Sweet Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones ...

(2018),

Scotty McCreery Scott Cooke McCreery (born October 9, 1993) is an American country music singer. He rose to fame after winning the tenth season of ''American Idol'' on May 25, 2011. His debut studio album, '' Clear as Day'', was released in October 2011 and w ...

(2019),

Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his father, Woody Guthrie. Gut ...

(2019)

The Turtles ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

with

Classics IV The Classics IV is an American band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, in 1965. The band, founded by Dennis Yost, is known mainly for the hits "Spooky," " Stormy," and "Traces," released 1967 to 1969, which have become cover standards ...

and other 60s bands (2021),

Jesse McCartney Jesse McCartney (born April 9, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama ''All My Children'' as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo mus ...

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Jeff Tweedy Jeffrey Scot Tweedy (born August 25, 1967) is an American musician, songwriter, author, and record producer best known as the singer and guitarist of the band Wilco. Tweedy, originally from Belleville, Illinois, started his music career in high s ...

Wilco Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently dur ...

(from Chicago) (2022). The Egyptian hosts

each year and several tribute bands. In January 2019 Executive Director Alex Nerad announced that the theater would undergo a $5.5 million renovation, including adding air-conditioning to protect the historical integrity of the building and alterations to meet the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Theatre officials plan to re-open in 2020.

Architecture

Although the DeKalb Egyptian Theatre is one of up to one hundred Egyptian-style theatres built during the early 20th century, it is believed to be one of only six remaining in the United States.Egyptian Theatre
, Wild Prairie Digitization Project, ''Northern Illinois University'', 2004. Retrieved July 8, 2007. This particular theatre is more than a simple hodgepodge of

hieroglyphics Egyptian hieroglyphs (, ) were the formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt, used for writing the Egyptian language. Hieroglyphs combined logographic, syllabic and alphabetic elements, with some 1,000 distinct characters.There were about 1,00 ...

and Egyptian symbols. The architect, Elmer F. Behrns, himself interested in

, designed the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb to have one central theme. Behrns' motif for the DeKalb Egyptian was that of

Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ''pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the an ...

Ramses II Ramesses II ( egy, rꜥ-ms-sw ''Rīʿa-məsī-sū'', , meaning "Ra is the one who bore him"; ), commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Along with Thutmose III he is often regarded as t ...

."The History of the Egyptian Theatre
, ''Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre'', official site, 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2007 The exterior facade is covered in a light sage

terra cotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...

and exhibits a 20-foot (6.1 m) tall

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

window, which bears the ancient scarab symbol. The scarab is holding up the sun god Ra whilst standing on top of the Earth. To each side of the stained glass window, the building's facade holds two huge pharaohs, meant to "guard" over the theatre entrance. The entirety of the theatre's front facade is designed to resemble the gate of a great temple. The small outer lobby is meant to evoke feelings of entering the outer chamber of an ancient Egyptian

tomb A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a :wikt:repository, repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be ...

. The walls of the outer lobby are built from huge unadorned blocks with a

faux Faux may refer to: People *Faux (surname) Places Places in Belgium * Faux, a village in the Belgian commune of Court-Saint-Étienne Places in France * Faux, Ardennes, French commune of the Ardennes department * Faux, Dordogne, French commune of t ...

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

surface. The front of the ticket box office is decorated in a dusky

sienna Sienna (from it, terra di Siena, meaning "Siena earth") is an earth pigment containing iron oxide and manganese oxide. In its natural state, it is yellowish brown and is called raw sienna. When heated, it becomes a reddish brown and is call ...

red with a golden

sunburst A sunburst is a design or figure commonly used in architectural ornaments and design patterns and possibly pattern books. It consists of rays or "beams" radiating out from a central disk in the manner of sunbeams. Sometimes part of a sunbur ...

emblazoned above the window. Past the outer lobby of the DeKalb Egyptian Theatre, through the glass doors and into the main lobby, the original

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

-tiled floor and the towering 40 foot (12.2 m) ceiling are both revealed. The walls of the main lobby are cream-colored

plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for Molding (decorative), moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of ...

, surrounded by eight

pillar A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression (physical), compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column i ...

s and

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...

s adorned with golden lotus blossoms and

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

leaves. High up the walls, between each of the pillars, are six large golden plaster

urn An urn is a vase, often with a cover, with a typically narrowed neck above a rounded body and a footed pedestal. Describing a vessel as an "urn", as opposed to a vase or other terms, generally reflects its use rather than any particular shape or ...

s. The urns are decorated with lotus blossom buds and palm leaves as well. They are crowned by a

gilded Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was tradi ...

design incorporating outstretched

falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...

wings and the disc of the sun entwined with golden serpents. The lotus motif is repeated on the frosted wall

sconce Sconce may refer to: *Sconce (fortification), a military fortification *Sconce (light fixture) *Sconcing, imposing a penalty in the form of drink *Sconce Point Fort Victoria is a former military fort on the Isle of Wight, England (), built to ...

s below the urns and on the

chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent li ...

hanging over the center of the

double staircase An imperial staircase (sometimes erroneously known as a "double staircase") is the name given to a staircase with divided flights. Usually the first flight rises to a half-landing and then divides into two symmetrical flights both rising with ...

; the staircase, at the end of the main lobby, leads to the

mezzanine A mezzanine (; or in Italian language, Italian, a ''mezzanino'') is an intermediate floor in a building which is partly open to the double-height ceilinged floor below, or which does not extend over the whole floorspace of the building, a loft ...

and

balcony A balcony (from it, balcone, "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor. Types The traditional Maltese balcony is ...

. The decoration and layout of the auditorium is meant to resemble a royal Egyptian

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

. While the stage is a decent size, at 35 feet (10.7 m) across, the backstage space is very small because of its original use as a vaudeville theatre. When the theatre first opened, it had seating for 1,600 guests, but as a result of the 1980s renovation that dropped to 1,483 seats. Four more seats were removed in late 2000 to comply with disability laws.Carroll, Rob.
Hidden Treasure: Egyptian Theater boasts rich history
, ''Daily Chronicle'', August 21, 2000. Retrieved July 8, 2007. The 1,430-seat auditorium is

's largest.

Hauntings

The DeKalb Egyptian, like many other Egyptian Revival structures, is meant to create an air of mystery. The imagery of the ancient Egyptian symbols has fostered the popular belief that there is a hidden meaning behind the architecture and color scheme in and on the DeKalb Egyptian. The theatre said through a spokesman in 2006 that both the colors and the decorations were picked for their beauty and no other reason. While there are no hidden messages in the architecture, there have been numerous occurrences and reports of alleged

ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

ly phenomena. The Egyptian has been widely rumored to be the home of two ghosts. One is said to be that of Irv Kummerfeldt, co-founder of PET; Kummerfeldt had a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

and died at the top of "Aisle One" in the Egyptian Theatre's auditorium. His ghost has been reported in that area of the theatre ever since. The second ghost, "Bob," as theatre workers and preservationists have dubbed it, is much more free roaming. Bob has been seen throughout the building; objects have moved on their own, doors have opened on their own, and people have felt a tap on their shoulder when no one else is around. Occasionally, footsteps have been heard echoing across the

auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, community ...

. The theatre operators and preservationists lend enough credence to the ghost sightings and stories to keep an eye out for any information in old newspapers on who the ghost might have been.

Significance

The theatre is one of the few remaining

Egyptian theatre Egyptian-style theatres are based on the traditional and historic design elements of Ancient Egypt. The first Egyptian Theatre to be constructed in the US – which inspired many of the identically-named theatres that followed it – was Graum ...

s in the United States. Depending on which estimates are utilized there are six or more

theatres remaining in the United States. The Illinois Main Street association called the DeKalb Egyptian "one of Illinois' great buildings."DeKalb
, Illinois Main Street, ''Lt. Gov. Par Quinn''. Retrieved July 8, 2007. The Egyptian Theatre was added to the U.S

on December 1, 1978.

Notes

External links

Cinema Treasures – Theater Guide: Egyptian TheatreEgyptian Theatre: Official WebsiteProperty Information Report
from

Illinois Historic Preservation Agency The Illinois Historic Preservation Division, formerly Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Illinois, and is a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. It is tasked with the duty of m ...